Sylvie and John Versus the Wraith
by Norah Strike
Summary: Sylvie Hampson can't decide whether if this is reality or not when she finds herself transported from Atlantis to her hometown along with her team and Colonel John Sheppard . . . and the Wraith.
1. The Team

Note: I don't own anything in this story that is involved with Stargate: Atlantis. My original characters in this story are based on real people.

Location: Atlantis Infirmary

I woke up suddenly from the glaring light of the lights. I was in a hospital bed. But I had no memory of I had got there. Dr. Carson Becket walked into the infirmary, radio in hand. I propped myself up, hoping for an answer from Becket of how I had gotten here. The doctor said to me,

"You shouldn't have brought to Atlantis, Sylvie."

I was confused. I had no memory of the past twenty-four hours. Why was Becket scolding me for something I couldn't remember?

"Wait, what happened?" I asked, a ball chain hitting my chest. "Did something bad happen when I was unconscious?"

But Becket stayed silent. He turned to the side and I saw a giant blob. The blob was consuming the whole infirmary. I gasped, in fear of getting swallowed up by this enigmatic, gray-green blob. I called out to Dr. Becket but he disappeared into thin air. And so did I.

Location: Butte, Montana

I looked around. I was on the main street of the town I had been raised in by my grandmother. The wind blew and I brushed my arm to pull back a piece of stubborn brown hair. My fingers brushed up against an Asgard beaming device that was strapped to my arm. This would explain how I had been teleported from Atlantis to Earth. But wait, how was that possible? The beaming devices couldn't teleport that far away, or could it? I felt the crunchy, dry wild grass under my toes; I wasn't wearing shoes and was still in the stark-white hospital gown. I had no clue what was going on. What would my commanding officer, Colonel John Sheppard think when I'm not found in Atlantis at all? At least I knew where I was, if I was right my grandmother's house was just at the end of Main Street. I jogged there. My grandmother's house was just as I had remembered it. I had been away at Atlantis for the past eighteen months. Every once in awhile I thought back to my grandmother and often wondered how she was doing.

I walked down my grandmother's pathway, recalling memories of doodling pictures on the cement with chalk, next to my twin. The sun was setting, making the air cooler in the summer's evening. I turned around to see my twin sister Cheyenne (who was also in the Air Force with me) standing there along side with Captain Dawson Meades and Major Skylar Kane. Dawson and Skylar were my teammates in my squad. Cheyenne specialized in engineering and mostly stayed on the Atlantis base where she was safe. I on the other hand was always off world and was in constant life-danger. But what surprised me most was that Cheyenne, Dawson, and Skylar were at Atlantis.

Did they get transported here unsuspectingly as I did?

I was about to ask Cheyenne why she was here too when she pushed me into our grandmother's hedges. I looked from the hedges to see a sight that immediately sent chills up my spine. I turned to Cheyenne while holding myself back from gasping in surprised horror. Cheyenne held her finger to her cherry-red lips and mimed,

"Shh!"

I could feel my heart pounding in fear. Towering near us was a group of Wraith.

Seven Wraiths.

Oh snap.

One of the Wraiths, presumably the leader, sniffed something in the air.

Please . . . not us . . . not us . . .

It looked like the Wraith was looking for something by scent. It felt like hours before that Wraith shook his head and turned to the group of Wraith. They said something that was said to quietly to hear. The Wraith split into two groups: a group of three and a group of four. Group of Three went west while Group of Four went east. They split apart at the end of the street corner. Cheyenne, Dawson, Skylar, and I breathed in relief. But only for a short moment. We had a problem. A BIG problem. Somehow these Wraiths managed to slip past our defenses and landed on Earth.

One by one we stumbled out of the bushes. The Wraith was supposed to stay in the Pegasus Galaxy, not on Earth in Montana near my grandmother's house. We congregated on the steps of my grandmother's porch, analyzing our situation. I wanted to know why these select people were here with me.

"Why are you all here?" I asked.

Skylar paced around like he always did before he gave his answers.

"To kill those Wraith Hampson," said Skylar, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Hampson. Sylvie Hampson. My name.

Hampson. Cheyenne Hampson. My twin sister.

Meades. Dawson Meades.

Kane. Skylar Kane.

My teammates in my squad.

All of these people were connected to me in some way or another. Why? Why them?

I was totally mind-blown. How could two nineteen year olds, a twenty one year old, and an eighteen year old take down seven Wraiths. Without the proper weapons and equipment. Oh yeah, we were built up for massacre by the Wraith.

"Kill?" I said unbelievably.

"Yes," said Dawson. "It's not impossible to kill Wraith. You just need high firepower."

That was Dawson, incredibly smart but hopelessly naive about everything.

"Come on Mousie it will be really simple," said Cheyenne, using my childhood nickname.

I felt Skylar smirk behind me.

"All right," I agreed. "But we don't have any weapons."

Cheyenne and Skylar pointed to the hedges. I raised my eyebrows. Skylar reached down to pull a Wraith gun.

"How did you get that?" I asked.

Skylar shrugged. "Well there was originally eight Wraith."

The deceased Wraith's gun was shaped a lot like Ronon's but twenty times bigger. Even though Skylat and I were teammates, I never really trusted him with a weapon of any kind, but today I did. Cheyenne placed another Wraith gun into my unsuspecting hands. I didn't question where she got it. I looked up from the weapon to see that Cheyenne and Dawson had Wraith guns too, but Skylar's was the biggest.

"We need a plan," I said.

A voice behind me agreed,

"Yes we do."

It was Colonel John Sheppard.


	2. Tracking the Wraith

I snapped to attention when I heard my commanding officer's voice. Sheppard was holding his M-16 and looking ready for a fight like always.

"Colonel Sheppard," I said, surprised that he was here in Montana too.

"Lieutenant Hampson," said Sheppard. "You were saying something about a plan."

Damn me, why did I always got clumsy and on edge whenever Sheppard was around?

"I was just about to say sir, which we should stick together and track down the Wraith one by one."

Skylar shook his head, disagreeing with me like always.

"No, that's a terrible idea Hampson," said Skylar.

Sheppard gave a steely look towards Skylar that immediately made him shut his trap he calls a mouth. Sheppard nodded for me to continue,

"You were saying Hampson?"

"I think we should all go as one team. You know 'safety in numbers'. I think we should follow the Wraith's footsteps. Their direction was heading towards either the local school or the nearby cemetery," I finished (finally).

To my amazement Skylar, Cheyenne, Dawson, and even Sheppard murmured their agreements.

"Let's move out, people. Let's start with the school," Sheppard took command. Sheppard took the lead, because well he was the leader in this situation.

With that me, Cheyenne, Skylar, and Dawson followed Sheppard. We made it at the end of my grandmother's yard when Sheppard turned back to me. He motioned for me to lead.

"I have no clue where we are going," explained Sheppard.

"Don't worry sir; I know the way like the back of my hand." I assured the colonel.

I knew this place even more than my twin sister did. Cheyenne had been enrolled into this private school in Boston when she was ten years old. She was very smart, a born prodigy, and had the gift of making innovative art in her past time. I was stuck at home with our grandmother. I wasn't nearly as smart as Cheyenne was. So I stayed at home, walking the streets at night, getting into trouble, and occasionally getting reprimanded by my favorite cop, Officer Baker.

Location: Butte, Montana

The school's playground

Our group was standing on the playground, which was covered with bark. My eyes swept to the swing set, the slide, the jungle gym, and the crummy built basketball court. It looked abandoned, like it should, last time I checked it was the middle of July. The Wraith was not there, they must have passed through the playground already. Sheppard turned to me, his expression getting darker as the moments passed by.

"Where is the cemetery?" asked Sheppard. I replied calmly,

"Not far maybe a mile or two from here."

Sheppard walked out of the basketball court where we were standing.

"Okay Hampson. We should hurry up, it's getting darker," said Sheppard.

Sheppard was right. The sun was beginning to go down faster as the hunt for the Wraith continued.

So without further ado, I lead our group through the eerily vacant streets that lead to the local cemetery.

We were almost to the cemetery when we saw the Wraith. Sheppard motioned our group to take cover behind the nearby cottonwood trees. The Wraith didn't see us. The Wraith was in the cemetery, standing amidst the graves. I made the hand signal to sneak up behind the Wraith (with the approval of the colonel).

Unfortunately because of Skylar's cockiness (he stepped on a dead cottonwood branch, creating a loud snapping sound) the Wraith turned around and started opening fire on us. Cheyenne stood still the moment the Wraith began shooting at us. Without thinking about my safety I grabbed the back of her shirt and pulled her with me to the cover of nearby headstones in the cemmetary.

"Cheyenne!" I yelled at her while firing my weapon at the Wraith. "Whenever gunfire starts you run like hell! Don't just stand there!"

Cheyenne pulled out her weapon and positioned herself on the headstone like I was. I shoved her head down. She glared at me.

"I can take care of myself Mousie!" She yelled back, fully knowing my pet peeve of being addressed as 'Mousie'.

"I know you can Cheyenne. But you have to prove it," I snapped as I shot off a few more rounds of bullets.

"How can I when you won't even give me a chance Sylvie?"

I tore my eyes away from the looming Wraith. I looked at my twin.

The only thing we shared in physical traits beside the fact that we are female, is that we shared the same light brown hair. Cheyenne had dark brown eyes, cherry red lips, a ghostly pale skin complexion, wavy shoulder length hair, and was three inches shorter than me. I, on the other hand have light blue-yellow eyes, pale pink lips, lifeless neck lenth hair, and my height is five foot six inches, same as our grandmother's height.

"Save your ammo Cheyenne, I have our backs covered."

Cheyenne lowered her weapon along with that she kept her mouth shut. About time. I loved my twin sister but sometimes she was too niave about everything.

Combined with my group's firepower we managed to kill all the Wraith except for one, which seemed to be the leader. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Dawson sneak behind the last Wraith. Dawson power-kicked the Wraith in the back. It was an idiotic and reckless move on Dawson's part. The Wraith slowly turned around and struck Dawson on the neck, sending Dawson flying in mid-air and landing hard against a headstone. Dawson wasn't moving.

Never a good sign, especially in this line of work.

Dawson had landed a good ten feet away from where he last standing.

Wow. Wraith are heartless bastards.

I heard Cheyenne scream like she did when we watched our parents burn to death when our house in Houston burned down, taking our parents with the burnt remains of our happiness.

I saw Skylar run to Dawson's limp body, shooting all that he got at the Wraith. Sheppard was shooting beside Skylar. Meanwhile, I was trying to get Cheyenne to calm down. She wasn't used to seeing all of this violence in one day. I wrapped an arm around her, while making sure that I had my sights on that last Wraith. The Wraith shot back at Skylar and Sheppard.

Dawson was probably dead.

"We have to retreat!" I yelled to Sheppard.


	3. Skylar

"Agreed, Lieutenant!" Sheppard yelled back.

Our group retreated, our guns still firing at the Wraith. The last Wraith turned and ran out of sight, towards the countryside beyond the cemetery. After the Wraith was gone from sight it was safe enough to go back to get Dawson's body. Cheyenne looked down at Dawson's limp form.

"Oh my God, is he dead?" She shrieked.

Sheppard knelt beside Dawson to check his pulse. A minute passed. Sheppard looked up to face Cheyenne.

"No. He's alive. He will be fine if we can get him out here," announced Sheppard.

"What are we standing here for then? Let's go," said Skylar. Skylar strapped his weapon behind his back. He picked up Dawson and carried him like he was a sleeping child. Dawson did resemble a child. Out of the whole group he still had a adolescent look to him and was the shortest at four foot eleven inches. I went over to check for myself that Dawson was all right, that he wasn't dead. It was just one of those times where you had to see for yourself to find the truth. I reached over to touch Dawson's neck to check his pulse, but Skylar told me to lay off of Dawson.

"Don't," Skylar said in a overly protective way. "You might hurt Dawson. He has to have time to heal."

I was about to retort back at Skylar but Sheppard agreed with him.

"He's right Hampson," said Sheppard.

I was getting confused. You couldn't heal by yourself? With no medicine or drugs? Or could you? Then out of the blue, Cheyenne started hopping up and down like an excited schoolgirl.

"I've just gotten an idea!" Cheyenne exclaimed.

"What?" asked Sheppard, Skylar, and I at the same time.

"I need to use Grandma's computer for some research!" She replied.

For a split second my twin sister reminded me of Hermione Granger when she had to use Hogwort's library.

"Okay Cheyenne," I agreed. "But I'm coming with you Cheyenne, the Wraith is still out there."

Cheyenne shrugged.

Skylar handed me Dawson. My knees buckled slightly from Dawson's weight.

"I will stay here and keep a look out for the Wraith," said Skylar.

"Me too," said Sheppard. It seemed that Sheppard and Skylar had bonded during the battles with the (now dead) Wraith.

This didn't sound like the smartest idea to me.

"No," I said. "We have to stay in a group."

Skylar looked down at me, I was considerably shorter than he was. He placed his hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. He looked deep into my eyes as he said,

"I, I mean 'we', can handle a pathetic life-sucker ourselves."

Skylar gestured to his Wraith gun.

Even with Skylar's assurances, I wasn't entirely sure. But this was Skylar. I wasn't about to risk Cheyenne's life on Skylar's cockiness. I nodded. I turned to my twin.

"Come on, Chey. Let's go to Grandma's. Besides Dawson's weight is about to make me tip over."

Cheyenne grinned. She enjoyed messing with Dawson as much as I do.

We ran. Or more like Cheyenne sprinting and me wobbling behind. Destination: Grandma's House. Oh yeah.

Location:

Grandma's House

A.K.A.: Joy Kaye's House

Butte, Montana

Cheyenne and I didn't stop running until we reached Joy Kaye's house. Joy Kaye was our grandmother. We hopped up the porch steps and retched the front screen door wide open. We rampaged into the house that we was our childhood home for many years. Our grandmother was there, standing by her old rocking chair. She was on the phone. When she saw her only grandchildren looking breathless and holding a unconscious man in my arms. Grandma said to the phone,

"Errr . . . Gertrude. I'm going to have to call you back dear."

The phone clicked and we had our grandmother's full attention.

"Sylviannah. Cheyenne, what is going on? What are you doing here? Who is that? You two are supposed to be in Iraq. . . "

Grandma placed her hand over her heart. A few tears escaped her eyes. Cheyenne knelt beside Grandma, she gave her a hug. Cheyenne always knew how to coax Grandma into doing something. And I was the convicted con.

Cheyenne spoke softly to her,

"Grandma, our friend here is very hurt. His name is Dawson. Whatever you do, do NOT go outside. There is something out there that can, and will, hurt you if its given the chance. That is why Sylvie and I are here. We are working on a solution. I need to use your computer."

Grandma put her hand to Cheyenne's cheek.

"You know kiddo," said Grandma. "Just because I'm eighty something years old and just released a few tears, doesn't mean I can't handle surprises."

"I take it I can use your computer?"

"What do you think, Cheyenne Alice Hampson?"

"Yes."

Grandma nodded.

I followed Cheyenne into Grandma's library. In the middle of the library was Grandma's desk where she kept her Dell computer. I laid Dawson on a nearby loveseat. He moaned slightly as I did this. I took this as a good sign. Behind me, Cheyenne was starting up the computer. I studied Dawson's body. His eyes were still closed but his chest was rising and falling smoothly. Dawson was something of a miracle at that moment. The blow Dawson had been given by the Wraith should have been fatal. But somehow Dawson didn't have a head wound. It was like he had already healed. Just like Skylar said it would. I don't know how many minutes I spent studying Dawson when Cheyenne gave a whoop of joy.

"I got it!" She yelled out.

I walked over to Cheyenne and the computer.

"What?" I asked.

"The antidote!" Cheyenne squealed.

Cheyenne laughed at the sight of my confused expression.

"The antidote is for the Wraith," she explained.

"What does the antidote do?" I asked. Cheyenne huffed at me.

"If we inject it into the Wraith, it will kill him."


	4. The Confrontation

(Next Chapter)

I take the antidote out of Cheyenne's hands.

"I'll do it. I'll kill the Wraith," I volunteerd myself. Hell no I wasn't going to let my sister get near a Wraith. Even if we were virtually the same age. Cheyenne wasn't qualified for this. But I was.

"But-," began Cheyenne.

I shook my head.

"There's no way I am letting that _thing _near you, Cheyenne," I argued.

Cheyenne suprisingly didn't argue with me for once. For a moment we just stood there. I could tell that Cheyenne didn't want me to do it. But she understood that I had to. So I nodded to her and walked out of the room.

"Keep an eye on Dawson!" I shouted back when I was down the hallway.

Cheyenne didn't reply. When I got to the living room my grandmother wasn't there but . . .

"_Carson Beckett?"_

How did Dr. Beckett get here? What was going on? How did he get here? The last place I had saw him was in the infirmary, where I was when this all had started.

Dr. Beckett stood up from my grandmother's couch and walked over to me. He looked me in the eyes and said softly,

"Stay safe, Lass."

What the hell was going on?

And then when things couldn't get weirder, Dr. Beckett vanished in thin air. One second he was there, the next second he wasn't. Why was everything starting to get twisted? Was I going mad? Or did I just imagine him standing in my grandmother's living room in Montana? In fact, how did I get here? Honestly, how could I have transported all the way from the Pegasus Galaxy to Montana? Was I really here? Was this just a part of my imagination? I tried to think back to when this all started . . .

I was in the infirmary . . .

But then everything melted . . . Or at least in my mind . . .

But how did I get myself into the infirmary . . . ?

Was this just some kind of way to get information from my brain . . . ?

I couldn't remember anything that happened before the infirmary.

I was confused and tried to get myself to stay focused on the task at hand. The sooner that I killed this Wraith, the sooner I could find a solution to this weirdness.

I opened the front door where the Wraith was waiting for me. I put the poison into my military-jacket chest pocket. I also loaded my weapon. Bullets could kill Wraith if all else failed. I took a deep breath and walked out of the door, ready than ever to face this Wraith.

The Wraith seemed to be waiting for me on the cemment pathway. When I had shut the screen door, the Wraith turned around to face me slowly, like a serial killer in a horror movie. I felt myself begin to shake all over. My hands trembled and I struggled to hold my weapon in one hand. But I knew I had to do what I had to do. Otherwise the Wraith would find and feed on my grandmother, Cheyenne, and Dawson. Then Skylar and Sheppard when he was done with them. But I would be the first human meal. I couldn't let that happen. No, I WOULDN'T let that happen. Over my dead carcass. The Wraith walked to the front porch, where I was standing, waiting, trembling in fear. But as the Wraith stepped onto the first step, a giant fish net captured the Wraith. The fish net was hooked above, in a tree that hung near the porch. The Wraith scowled at me, obviously outraged at being captured in a human trap. I walked over to the hanging Wraith. I smiled at the Wraith, relieved that I didn't have to get close to the Wraith. Skylar must have installed the fish net in the tree before we had left here a few hours earlier. The Wraith growled at me in anguish. I took the poison out of my chest pocket and held it in my hand. Cheyenne had instructed the Wraith to inject me with it. I hoped she meant anywhere. I took a close look at the Wraith. I decided to inject the poison on the Wraith's wrist. The poison heavy in my hand, I reached my hand into the net to inject the Wraith. The Wraith grabbed onto my wrist and lunged his other hand into my chest, feeding on me. The Wraith wriggled out of the net and threw me down on the the porch. The porch was made out of cement. I gasped in agony, knowing for sure that my life was going to end in a few minutes if I didn't do something. The Wraith leaned over me, sneering at me in the face. I knew that I had to survive. I knew that I couldn't let the Wraith get my family or Dawson or Skylar or Sheppard. I had to survive. Yes. I had the will to survive on my side. With that, I raised my trembling hand and lodged into the Wraith's wrist. The Wraith looked shocked. After a few seconds the Wraith keeled over. Dead.

My body was trembling all over. I rubbed the place where the Wraith had stuck its hand on my chest, sucking the life out of me. I hastily got up on shaking legs. I turned my head to the left and saw my grandmother, Cheyenne, and (to my amazement) Dawson. Dawson was standing. Dawson was okay. They smiled at me. I smiled back, relieved that the Wraith was dead. Behind me I heard the crackling of gravel. I turned towards the sound and saw that a black Surburban park into my grandmother's driveway. The driver's door opened and out came Colonel John Sheppard. Where did he get the car? I didn't even want to question this whole thing anymore. Sheppard walked up to me and comgratulated me on killing the Wraith.

"Nice job taking care of that Wraith, Kid," Sheppard praised.

I just stood there, still a little shocked that I had taken care of a Wraith on my own and lived to say the story on the next women's poker night. I was about to ask Sheppard where Skylar was when I saw him. Skylar was walking on the street, his weapon lounging over his shoulder casually. At last I found my words.

"Cheyenne's the one that invented the poison," I said.

Sheppard nodded. "We could use some more of that poison Hampson."

Then we all just stood there. Me, Cheyenne, my grandmother, Dawson, and Skylar.

. . . Then everything melted away.


	5. Epilouge The Grief of Reality

I open my eyes and squint at the light. For a moment all I remember was that I was at my grandmother's house. But then . . .

I realize that I am in the infirmary. And my head is pounding, far much worse than any concussion I have ever had. In a corner I see Dr. Beckett reading some papers and comes over to me when he saw that I was awake. Immediately he speaks into his comlink and informs Colonel Sheppard that I am conscious. Dr. Beckett said to me,

"Looks like you pulled through Sylviannah."

Pulled through? What happened? How did I get from Montana all the way to the Pegasus Galaxy again? And in a few hours?

I give Dr. Beckett a confused look.

"I don't understand, what happened? How did I get here so fast?"

But then Colonel Sheppard walks into the infirmary. He is my Commanding Officer.

"Sir," I addressed, as I attempted to sit up but then wince when I try to move my head up.

"I would take it easy Hampson," said Sheppard. "You know for a second we weren't sure if you were going to make it."

"I don't remember what happened sir," I said. "The last thing I remember was our team hunting a group of Wraith in Butte."

Sheppard's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

What? He was there, he should have remembered.

"Butte? As in Montana?" He asked skeptically.

"Yes sir. You were there with me along with my twin sister and Skylar and Dawson," I said.

Why was I the one explaining everything to him? Shouldn't be the other way around?

"Ummm. . . Hampson, we weren't in Montana. We were on a mission offworld. Remember?"

I get a sinking sensation in my gut. Was I mad?

"No sir. "

Sheppard turned to Beckett. "Is she all right? She's acting a little-" Sheppard made the crazy sign on his head.

Beckett shook his head.

"All of her tests came out normal. Maybe it was just subconscious mind keeping her occupied while she was being tortured," suggested Beckett.

I jump a little at "tortured". My head . . . was that why my head hurt like a train wreck?

"I-I was tortured?" I asked.

Sheppard nodded grimly and took a seat on the edge of my hospital bed. He took a deep breath before starting the story, the REAL story.

"We were on a Wraith ship when a group of Wraith ambushed us. They captured us. They fed off of our team except for you and me-"

I interrupted him,

"Teyla, Ronon, and Dr. McKay are dead?"

Sheppard shook his head.

"No they didn't come on this mission. After they fed off of our team they took you and stuck a probe in your mind-"

I interrupted the Colonel again. I asked with fear,

"Who was in the team? Please, I need to know where my sister is."

Sheppard turned away from me. Oh no . . . no . . . no . . . no . . . I choked down a sob so I could say,

"Sir, where is Cheyenne Hampson?"

Sheppard turned back to face me, his face full of pain and guilt.

"The Wraith took her and fed on her. Hampson is dead. I'm so sorry."

My world tumbles down. My sister . . . Gone. For good. I let myself shed a few tears before asking,

"Dawson and Skylar?"

Sheppard nodded again. I know what he means, they are dead. Fed off because of a species needing food for survival. After the Colonel says this I break down completely, not caring who is there.

"NOOOOOOOO!" I scream in grief over my twin sister. "NOOOOOOOO!"

I ignore the pain in my head. Because life without Cheyenne is unimaginable. I cover my face with my hands and scream some more, this time over frustration.

Why couldn't I have saved her? I had saved her in the dream. I look at Sheppard, who sat up when I had begun my grief. He walks over to me and tries to calm me down by touching my shoulder but I slap his hand away.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP THEM?" I shout.

Sheppard's face clouded with even more guilt. He mumbles,

"There was nothing I- we could have done."

"NO, SHE'S DEAD BECAUSE SHE WASN'T PART OF _YOUR REAL TEAM!" _

But this last statement angers him.

"Look Hampson, there was nothing I could have done. I'm sorry that they are dead. I honestly am, but there was nothing, nothing I could have done to save them. I saved you, didn't I?"

"YOU SHOULD HAVE SAVED HER INSTEAD OF ME!" I bellow.

I can't take anymore of this. Every fiber in my body is on fire with rage. I rip off my I.V. and heart monitors and tackle Sheppard onto the hard floor. I draw my hand into a fist and punch my commanding officer in the jaw. He doesn't fight me. I thank him for that. But not for letting Cheyenne and Dawson and Skylar die horribly.

Besides him, I will never forgive myself for recommending Cheyenne's skills for the mission.

She is dead because of me and Colonel Sheppard.

Behind me, Dr. Beckett calls for assisstance. Two people besides himself pull me off of Colonel Sheppard. When Sheppard got free of me, he jumped onto his feet. I stand up, even with two people grabbing my arms. Sheppard gives me a look of pure annoyance. He says with a cold tone,

"Hampson, you are going to have to accept that I did everything I could to save her."

I snarl at him, letting my rage take over me.

"I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU! YOU LET HER DIE!"

Dr. Beckett calls for a sedative and for a moment my vision goes cloudy that turns to blackness in seconds.

**THE NEXT DAY . . . **

After I had woken up, I am told by Dr. Weir that unless I control my grief I will be sent back to Earth. There is nothing for me back on Earth, so I nodded "yes ma'am" and tried to keep my cool during my first session of grief counseling. The counselor knows what she is doing. She tells me that feeling anger, even hatred is normal during the "grieving process". I nodd and pretend that I understand what she is saying. But inside I feel numb.

Everything here in Atlantis reminds me of Cheyenne. Especially the views. Cheyenne had loved the views of Atlantis.

Her memorial is nice and brief, for there are two other memorials in one day. I speak about her life. How she was smart and funny and how great she was at everything she did, including being my sister. Her memorial was three days after her death. When I was saying the remembrance speech the numbness had swept all the way over my insides. The whole time I was speaking, I avoided eye contact with John Sheppard.

I don't think he will be forgiving me anytime soon.

I don't blame him.

I can't even forgive myself for what happened to Cheyenne. I know now that it was never his fault for letting Cheyenne and the others die.

It was mine.

**ONE WEEK LATER . . . **

I am going through Cheyenne's stuff in her old quarters. Her room is filled with field notes, books, photographs, and sentimental items from our grandmother. I am packing her old clothes into a box when I hear someone entering the room. I turn around and its-

"Colonel Sheppard," I said, dropping the box of Cheyenne's clothes and saluting him.

"At ease," he said lazily.

A tense moment passes before I said,

"Sir, I am so, so, so sorry for what happened last week."

I feel Sheppard studying me with his eyes.

"Are you, Hampson?" He asked.

"Yes sir. I was way out of line. Chey-" My voice starts to close up - "It wasn't your fault Colonel."

"It wasn't your fault either Hampson. Your sister knew the dangers and she accepted that fact."

"Sir, I recommended her for the mission. I should have never let her come."

Sheppard gave me a hard stare.

"You can't keep blaming yourself for this Hampson. I KNOW Cheyenne would never have wanted you to feel like this."

His last statement breaks the dam. The tears fell before I even knew there were coming. I drop to my knees and sobb. Colonel Sheppard walks over to me and kneels before me. He wraps his arm around me and starts telling me that everything will turn out okay. We sit there for a moment. Then I tell Colonel Sheppard about my Wraith Dream. How him, Cheyenne, Dawson, Skylar, and I took down a Wraith in Butte, Montana.

"I thought it was real . . . " I mumble.

At this point Sheppard has his arms around me. My face is pressed against his shoulders.

"In a way it was real Slyvie," Sheppard said.

**THE END . . . **

**(I THINK?) **


End file.
